Connecting the Bible and its Lands to Life

The Pictorial Library of Bible Lands

Now, try to grasp this fact: the majority of the events in the Gospels occurred in the scene you’re seeing.

That . . . is the power of a picture.

No matter how hard we try when we read the Bible, we cannot visualize on our own what the lands of the Bible look like.

We read about the “Wilderness of Judea” and we picture the wilderness of Montana or Washington State. But one photograph shows you it’s nothing like that.

The text refers to the mountains around Jerusalem and we imagine the Rocky Mountains. Not even close!

We have read about the Sea of Galilee all our lives, but as you can see in the picture above, it’s really a small lake.

83% of what we learn, we gain through sight. These photographs show us what the Bible says.

You Can See What the Bible Says

I have traveled to Israel many times and taken thousands of pictures, but I have never seen any photographs better than the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands. They are the best Holy Land photos I’ve ever seen.

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These are more than just High Resolutionpictures from the Holy Land. Special care has been taken to photograph biblical sites.

There are more than 1500 photos of Jerusalem.

More than 1500 photos of Judah and the Dead Sea area.

More than 2300 photos of the areas of Galilee and Samaria.

Thousands of other photos from Turkey, Greece, Italy, Egypt, and Jordan.

All together, the Complete Revised and Expanded Edition of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands includes more than 17,500 High Definition photographs from 9 countries in the ancient Mediterranean world.

All at your fingertips . . .

These photographs are unmatched both in their quality as well as their subject matter—they show what the Bible says. My blog simply would not be as effective without them. Wayne Stiles

Every Volume Includes Notes, Labels, Maps, and Indexes

You are never left to wonder where to find a site or what you’re looking at once you find it.

Clear Explanations: Thousands of sites and subjects have explanatory notes and Scripture verses inside PowerPoint presentations in order to help you understand what you are looking at (see below). The content in these annotations would add up to more than 2,000 pages of text.

Identifying Labels: Especially on aerial and panoramic photographs, labels identify sites and features (see below). You will see many things that you would have otherwise missed!

New Maps: All new original maps have been created so that you can easily identify the location of nearly every site in the Pictorial Library (see below).

Full Indexes Included: The Image Index lists every photograph for quick and easy searching. The Site Index provides the primary name for each site as well as alternate names and spellings so that you can quickly find the location of any site you are searching for.

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A feature which I really appreciate is that they are all labeled! You know right from the picture exactly what you are looking at. This makes the pictures usable even by someone who has not been to Israel.Dr. J. Carl LaneyWestern Seminary

My Recommendation

I own and enjoy all 18 volumes of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands (and so would your pastor!), but I recommend you start with the Israel Collection.

The Israel Collection (Volumes 1-5)

The Israel Collection contains all the photographs, notes, labels, maps, and indexes of volumes 1-5 on two DVDs in a single case. If you can only purchase one set, this is what I recommend. I use these pictures almost daily in my study and on my blog.

Of course, you can also purchase each volume in the Israel Collection separately—as well as in the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands.

If you are looking for high-quality pictures of the Holy Land, the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands is the place to find them. Not only are the well-known sites and features included, but also out-of-the-way places rarely seen by the average visitor.Dr. Bryant G. WoodDirector, Associates for Biblical Research

The Photographer Had an Unfair Advantage (but YOU get the benefits!)

It’s unlikely you will get to live in Israel for more than ten years. The photographer of these photos lived in Israel more than a decade! These photos give you the benefits of his advantage.

The Pictorial Library of Bible Lands includes more than the standard tourist sites. It does include all of the churches and camel stops, but the strength of the Pictorial Library is the images of biblical and ancient cities, archaeological excavations, geographical panoramas, cultural events, wildlife, and flora.

The library includes the three major Jewish festivals at various places in the country, especially Jerusalem.

You’ll see the best panoramas on the clearest days.

Photos from hundreds of miles of trails throughout the land.

“The photos are beyond fantastic! Breathtaking . . . I consider these discs to be one of the best investments I have ever made.” —Bill Wilson, Sunday School teacher, Atlanta, Georgia.

"Truly glorious. These disks exceed my greatest expectation. What a wonderful teaching tool for a pastor. I have been to Israel several times and have lots of pictures. But these are just so good."

—John Daniel, Sr. Pastor, Richmond, VA

"The photos are beyond fantastic! Breath-taking to one who lived there so long and cherishes the experience so highly. You have done an invaluable thing for a student of the land like I am. I consider these discs to be one of the best investments I have ever made."

—Bill Wilson, Sunday School teacher, Atlanta, GA

"I want to compliment you on the great job you did with the aerials; they are the best I've seen from the Holy Land. I've been to Israel many times and understand the conditions and effort that you had to go through in order to get such good results. As a ex-professional photographer that has done his share of aerial work and presently now Senior Pastor of Living Word Church in Syracuse, NY for the last thirty plus years, I not only personally enjoy these photos but use them in our presentations with the Word of God in our assembly. Thanks again for your dedicated labors!"

—Robert Mazur, Sr. Pastor, Syracuse, NY

"Many who have been to Israel have taken their own pictures, but these are better for several reasons. First, they are extensive.... Second, the photography is excellent. The pictures were taken at optimal seasons of the year when weather conditions were best. Finally, the digital imaging is great.... I've been searching for years and have never found a resource as rich as this!"

"I especially like the images because they are high quality and clear, even when projected on a fairly large screen. I have used some that got really grainy when projected. I also like the way this set captures so many important sites for biblical studies."

"The Pictorial Library of Bible Lands is unsurpassed. I have used other Bible image DVDs only to be disappointed in their low-resolution images, poor quality graphics, and limited content selection. This is a great service to Bible educators by providing excellent quality graphics of Bible land images that are ready for adaptation to word processing, presentation graphics, or web-design. Serious Bible teachers will be well-served by this new DVD set."

"If 'location' means everything in real estate, then 'quality' means everything in digital photos. The Pictorial Library is a collection of high quality photos of many Biblical sites. Not only do they excel in quality and variety, but they are easy to handle. Each area of the ancient world has its own disk, each disk is clearly laid out by site, and each file is labeled -- what more could an armchair traveler want!”

"Because I teach Bible to junior highers, the DVDs have significantly helped to shape a correct view of the Middle East."

—Courtney Robben, Teacher, The Bear Creek School

"This is the most valuable photographic collection of biblical sites on the Web. A must for every teacher of the Bible."

—David Bivin, Director, JerusalemPerspective.com

"I have viewed thousands of images from a variety of collections but I have never seen a better collection than this. If you are serious about using photos in Bible teaching then you ought to consider this material."

—Terry Taylor, eBibleTeacher.com

"The pictures are outstanding--great color, terrific views, fabulous aerial shots, beautiful composition. Another feature of the pictures which I really appreciate is that they are all labeled! You know right from the picture exactly what you are looking at. This makes the pictures usable even by someone who has not been to Israel.”

"If you are looking for high-quality pictures of the Holy Land, the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands is the place to find them. Not only are the well-known sites and features included, but also out-of-the-way places rarely seen by the average visitor."

—Dr. Bryant G. Wood, Director, Associates for Biblical Research

"This is an incredible resource!! We have checked out several photo CDs of Israel and yours are by far the best! Most others don't provide the high quality resolution that you have. Thank you!"

—Gina Worsham, Administrator, Arkansas Institute of Holy Land Studies

"The product vastly exceeds my expectations. Especially useful are the study notes. Thank you for your commitment to a quality product."

—David Reid, pastor in Spain

"Nothing can touch this in terms of quality and price. Our scholar team will be making wide use of these images for years to come in our presentations."

“These photographs are unmatched both in their quality as well as their subject matter—they show what the Bible says. My blog simply would not be as effective without them.”

—Dr. Wayne Stiles, Author, www.waynestiles.com

"The vast amount of information provided has been invaluable in my quest to draw more detailed and accurate Bible pictures."

—Graham Kennedy, Bible illustrator in UK

"I cannot articulate how highly I recommend these DVDs. Reading about a place in my Bible and then being able to visually see that exact location has really taken my study to the next level."

—R.B., Closed Country Missionary

“Even if you are not into teaching, the sheer joy of seeing the places where many of the events narrated in the Bible took places, will bring a new light and understanding to your own personal study of the Scriptures. It really is a win-win investment."

—Rubén Gómez, Bible Software Review

"You've taken pictures that teachers would take if they were on site. One of the best learning resource investments we ever made!"

—Nancy Huffine, Fellowship Bible Church, Winchester, VA

"THANK YOU! The quality and clarity of your pictures are great...they're often from angles I can't get to (e.g., in the air). You've got pictures I don't...and yours are often just plain hard to beat. I love them!

—Stan Maughan, Washington Boro, PA

"Teachers and serious students will find in this library a rich resource at economical cost."

—Dr. Robert H. Gundry, A Survey of the New Testament

"The DVDs are well-organized, and the availability in picture file or power point format makes them uniquely accessible for all kinds of preparations. From detailed close-ups of the smallest item or area of a site, to breathtaking aerial views of entire regions, these pictures TEACH."

—Dr. Steve Austin, Director, Texas Gulf Coast Bible Institute

WAYNE STILES
Hi, my name is Wayne Stiles, and I love connecting the Bible and its lands to life. This is my personal blog where that happens. My goal is to deliver practical content to encourage you in your relationship with God. I believe that a life lived well needs a growing and intentional connection with God through Jesus Christ. I write on the devotional life, Bible lands, understanding the Bible, and resources I have found helpful on these topics.